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Since 1951, Colorado has partnered with and benefited from WICHE through regional collaboration, resource-sharing, sound public policy, and innovation.

 

Download the factsheet for Colorado here.

 

2022-23 ACADEMIC YEAR

0 TOTAL SAVED

by Colorado students through WICHE Student Access Programs

0 SAVED

through WUE

0 SAVED

through WRGP

0 SAVED

through PSEP

WICHE’s Student Access Programs

WICHE operates three Student Access Programs that together saved nearly 50,000 students $580+ million in 2022-23. Each program supports students at each level of postsecondary education: undergraduate, graduate, and professional healthcare studies.

  • Students gain from increased choice and savings.
  • Schools gain by optimizing enrollments.
  • States and Pacific Island members gain by growing the skills of those they serve and strengthening their workforce.

 

 

What Students Are Saying

“WRGP has been a game changer! Growing up in poverty, surviving domestic violence, and living in shelters, I never dreamed I could get a high-quality education. Thanks to WRGP tuition savings, I can afford food and living expenses. I plan to provide patient care in the future.”

– Jose, California resident | Modern Human Anatomy, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Improving Lives in Colorado

WICHE works collaboratively to expand educational access and excellence for all residents of the West. By promoting innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy, WICHE strengthens higher education’s contributions to the region’s social, economic, and civic life. Learn more about our mission.

WICHE brings together senior academic leaders to foster dialogue about issues facing individual institutions through its leadership and professional development networks.

WESTERN ALLIANCE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC LEADERS – 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

  •   Aims Community College
  • Arapahoe Community College
  •  Colorado Community College System
  •  Colorado Northwestern Community College
  •   Community College of Aurora
  •   Community College of Denver
  •   Front Range Community College
  •  Lamar Community College
  •  Morgan Community College
  •  Northeastern Junior College
  •  Otero Junior College
  •  Pikes Peak Community College
  •  Pueblo Community College
  •   Red Rocks Community College
  •   Trinidad State College

Landon Pirius, Colorado Community College System, is a member of the Alliance executive committee.

WESTERN ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP FORUM – 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

  •   Metropolitan State University of Denver
  •   Colorado State University
  •   Colorado State University – Pueblo

Alfred Tatum, Metropolitan State University of Denver, is a member of the Alliance executive committee.

WESTERN ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY is a year-long professional development program for academic leaders aspiring to become chief academic officers in the WICHE region. Eleven cohort members from Colorado institutions have participated in the Academy since its inception in 2015.

INTERSTATE PASSPORT® is a national network of institutions that simplifies the transfer process, as well as saves students time and money as they successfully complete their degree. Adams State University is a Network member.

Thanks to collaboration with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), one of four U.S. regional higher education compacts, WICHE-region educational institutions, nonprofits, and public education entities can benefit from three programs: MHECtech, which provides competitively bid purchasing contracts for an array of hardware, software, and technology services; MHECare, which provides a student health insurance plan and teletherapy services; and a MHEC Cyber Insurance Program, which offers risk transfer and advisory solutions. Learn more.

Colorado participates in the STATE AUTHORIZATION RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT (SARA) through WICHE. This voluntary agreement provides reciprocity for the state authorization of distance education.

WICHE Behavioral Health Program (BHP) administers the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). In Colorado, the RCORP program supports three grantees across four sites: Memorial Hospital, San Luis Valley Area Health, and Gunnison County.

The BHP Together With Veterans Program, focused on reducing Veteran suicides, also has two sites in Colorado, one in the San Luis Valley and one in Morgan County (Brush), serving more than 2,000 rural Veterans combined.

Knocking at the College Door is the leading U.S. resource for projections of college-ready students. Knocking, which includes a quadrennial publication with additional analysis, is essential for postsecondary policymakers, planning and workforce efforts, and economic development.

WICHE offers curated data and policy resources to support better-informed decision-making:

WICHE staff have provided research, analysis, and presentations to North Dakota interim higher education committees, focusing on policies to promote workforce development in high-need occupations, such as teaching and health.

WCET- The WICHE Cooperative for Education Technologies is the leader in practice, policy, and advocacy of technology-enhanced learning in higher education. The University of Colorado System, Colorado Community College System, and 20 other institutions and organizations are WCET members.

Tina Parscal, Colorado Community College System, is immediate past-chair of the WCET Steering Committee and recent recipient of WCET’s highest individual award.

Additionally, American Sentinel University, Colorado School of Mines,  Colorado State University, Community College of Denver, Regis University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Colorado System are members of the State Authorization Network (SAN), which helps guide institutions through state regulations around online courses and programs.

WICHE has convened the OERWest Network, which is part of a nationwide collaborative to scale the development and adoption of free course materials. Open educational resources (OER) have shown promise in improving student outcomes, particularly for poverty-affected students, for whom the high cost of textbooks can be a barrier to postsecondary success.

WICHE Commissioners

*indicates Executive Committee member

Jim Chavez

Executive Director, Community College of Denver Foundation & Governmental Affairs

* Antwan Jefferson

WICHE Commission Vice Chair, Associate Dean for EDI and Clinical Associate Professor, University of Colorado Denver

Angie Paccione

Executive Director, Colorado Department of Higher Education

Legislative Advisory Committee

Jennifer Bacon

Representative, Colorado State Legislature

Dafna Michaelson Jenet

Representative, Colorado State Legislature